Modular self adjusting portable levee system

ABSTRACT

This portable self adjusting modular levee system is ideal for protecting Nuclear Reactors, Cities close to sea level and adjacent to rivers of high and unpredictable cresting. The system consists of a base channel and a floater section fabricated or otherwise made with material such as steel, fiber, Aluminum or resin, harnesses the hydro-static pressure of the water, stabilizing the base and extending the floater assembly vertically to create adjustable levee of desired height in order to reach maximum cresting. Each modular unit is attached in a linear fashion to a complimentary unit at certain angle or straight at site in order to create a continuous sealed variable levee system of any desired length and configuration along river banks, high cresting and potential body of water. During normal conditions this levee system call be used as a road along such bank.

PRIOR APPLICATION

Provisional Application No. U.S. 61/572,076 Filing Date Jun. 22, 2011

GENERAL FIELD OF INVENTION

Flood Control

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS US Patents Documents

7,785,042 B2 Scandaliato 405/285 6,715,960 B2 Metz 6,454,491 B1 Wayne 6,443,655 B1 Bennett 7,976,240 B2 Mun 3,047,969 G. W. Purdy 3,287,918 C. A. Stewart 5,984,577 Stoony 6,450,733 B1 Krill et al.

Field of Classification Search

405/285, 284, 286, 116, 112, 111, 110, 107, 25, 21

U.S. Classification

405/116; 405/285; 405/116; 405/21

Int. Cl.

E02B 7/02

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

“Not Applicable”

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The invention relates to flood control system, levees and apparatus, and more particularly, to a method of using fabricated modular sections capable of adjusting vertically with the rise of water level on the water side, up to a desired maximum cresting of the water body. With the rise of sea level and frequent flooding of rivers the Fixed levee are subject to overflow during high cresting causing untold damage to properties and loss of lives. The solution is a variable height automatically adjusting modular portable levee system that harnesses the power of water in order to deflect it from causing flooding.

Description of related art, including informational disclosure under CFR 1.97 and CFR 1.98

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The flood control system, the apparatus, and the method according to the present invention include a modular pair of a fabricated channel of certain thickness, width, height and features with a insert of a free floating fabricated tubular hollow water tight body of certain wall thickness, width, height and features, that when these individual pair are connected with another complimentary similar modular unit creates a unified base shaped as a “U” channel, and a unified floater, of any desired length and configuration along the river bank or water body or in front of an structure or building, having a floatable hollow member which are also fastened together to each complimentary floater of the adjacent modular unit, thereby form a floating wall which can move vertically inside the limits of the lower “U” shaped base, as the water level rises on the water side of this adjustable levee, thereby extending it vertically to its maximum extension. The floater rises to its maximum height and creates a water tight seal along its flange and horizontal guide of the base. An arrangement of a wedge shape slide at the bottom of the guide on the dry side of the base locks the floater assembly along its entire length, pushed towards the dry side due to hydro-static pressure, in order to lock the floater assembly into a desired position during the peak flooding conditions.

The operation of this adjustable levee is automatic. The base “U” shaped continuous channel act as first level of the levee until the water rises to a certain level where the water pours through the port holes on the river side of the lower body, called base. The water quickly fills the entire water tight channel and makes the free floating member called floater rise until its lower flange seals with the guides set at certain depth from the top of the base assembly in such a way that the draft of the floating body is enough to force the floater to create a water tight seal as the water keep rising. The height of the floater and wall height of the base is selected based on the desired average and maximum cresting of the water level.

During the rescission of water the flap valve discharges the water from the base assembly back into the river or main body of the water or the water side thereby releasing the lock on the floater base and wedge making the floater gradually drop back to lower level.

End of the each modular unit, base and the complimentary floater, can be straight or at a certain angle (45 degrees or less) in order to attach adjacent complimentary modular unit to take a bent to its right or left depending on the requirement. Each unit (base & Floater) are fabricated, assembled and inserted at a separate location. Once brought to the site, each modular unit (base & floater) are attached to the adjacent units complimentary part separately, thereby creating a free long base and a free floater, of any desired length and shape. The bottom of the floater is provided with a slide lock arrangement and a top fixed plate. When the two modular units are brought together, the bottom lock of each complimentary floater lock and closes on to the seal. Once the top plate is secured with bolts the floater become one piece floater assembly. The base, “U” shape channel also are attached with bolts at the side flange compressing over a seal all along the cross section, thereby creating a water tight channel of any desired length. Each base will be provided with a vertical maintenance groove along the back plate on the dry side of the modular unit. In case of maintenance, a pile can be driven vertically down through the grove along with successive piling in order to create a piled barrier across and over the length of the modular unit to be replaced for maintenance. The floater can also have another vertically extending floater, however the dimension of the components need to be adjusted in order to account for stability. The dimensions and extension of the base plate of the base assembly and the web plates on the wet and dry side of the channel wall are based on the calculation of hydro-static and hydro-dynamic forces that will act on the walls of the base assembly. The base assembly gets more stable as water fills in the channel. The extension of the base plate on each side of the wall will act as a load plate on the water side and extended fulcrum point on the dry side, thereby giving the base the rigidity that it requires for the proper operation. This modular self adjusting portable levee system can be used as a road, walking or bike trail etc., at its normal (down position) in and around cities or structures that are to be protected from flood water in case of Tsunami or cresting of river or rise of other body of water or potential water.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a modular section of the inventive self adjusting modular levee system. The figure shows the complete base assembly placed on with water and dry side shown. The complete water tight floater assembly has shown rested at its lower position, as the water level is rising but not yet close to the peak level.

FIG. 2 is the modular section of the inventive self adjusting modular levee system with water level at peak and the floater assembly is at its maximum vertical extension and locked due to the hydro-static pressure.

FIG. 3 is two modular section of the inventive self adjusting modular levee attached together having a base and floater section secured independently in order to operate as an unified self adjusting levee all along the water bank or the desired area to be protected from the surge over and above the predetermined safe level of the water or potential water body.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A fabricated section 1 which is also referred as base is of certain height, width and wall thickness with the base extended on the water and dry side of certain length in order to act as a load plate on the water side and an extended fulcrum point on the dry side. The base is provided with certain number of ribs 13 in order to provide stability. The side wall of the base 1 is provided with certain number of webs 11 of certain dimension on both water and dry side. Flange 2 is provided on each end of the base 1 for connecting complimentary modular section with certain fasteners. The end section of the base 1 is provided with certain seal 3 all along the cross section in order to provide a water tight seal when the complimentary modular assemblies are attached together. Certain numbers of Port holes 4 of certain dimension are provided on the wall of the base 1 on the water side in order for the water to fill the base channel as the water level rises beyond a certain point. Certain number of flap valves 5 of certain dimension and configuration are provided on the water side of the base 1 in order for the discharge of the water trapped in the base channel during the rescission of the water level. A vertical groove 15 of certain dimension and configuration is provided along the dry side of the base 1 for attachment of piles during maintenance. Floater assembly 6 is a fabricated water tight tubular section of certain dimension and configuration, which will float having certain draft in order to raise vertically thereby extending vertically to block the rise or cresting of water level. A seal 7 of certain dimension is provided all along the cross section of the floater assembly 6 in order to create a water tight joint when the complimentary floater is attached. Floater 6 has clearance bar 14, secured to another floater by a bottom latch 9 of certain dimension and configuration and a top lock plate 10 secured with bolts. A transverse seal 8 is provided along the length of the floater 6 on both the flanges in order to create a water tight seal during the vertical extension of the levee. A slide wedge locking mechanism 12 is provided along the inner side of the base on the dry side wall in order to lock the floater at a secured position when it is fully extended and under static pressure from the water side. The FIG. 1 shows all the components in normal water level on the water side.

FIG. 2 shows the water level rose to its peak level and the floater assembly extended and locked due to the hydro-static pressure on the water side all along the water bank creating an extended continuous levee. During peak flooding conditions the base channel is full of water all along its entire length of the water bank, thereby creates a rigid and stable base and act as continuous levee. Components in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are marked with same numbers and represent the same components. Each modular section is fastened and secured individually (base with base and floater with floater) as shown in FIG. 3 for any desirable length all along the water bank or potential water body thereby creating a continuous self adjusting levee of any length or configuration. Modular sections are also made with certain angles in order to be assembled in certain configuration as needed along the water bank. Once connected the base and floater assembly creates an independent continuous body all along the water bank or potential water body of certain configuration as desired.

The disclosed embodiment of the apparatus, system and method according to the invention are illustrative of the scope of the invention, which is recited in the following claims. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments can be made or are apparent from the description contained herein, without departing from the scope of the invention is claimed. 

1. A system for providing flood protection, the system comprising: A modular base assembly fabricated or otherwise made with certain material having a certain horizontal base plate of certain thickness, width, length and configuration extended beyond a vertical wall plate of certain thickness, length and height, facing the water side with port openings at a certain level from the top and certain valves at a certain height from the bottom, and another similar wall plate of certain thickness, height, length and configuration facing the dry side, essentially making a rectangular channel of certain length, width, height and having certain flange with a securing mechanism, fabricated or otherwise made at the outside ends of such channel with certain seal attached along the entire end of such channel so that once attached and secured with another similar modular base assembly at each end essentially makes a water tight channel of certain width, height and any desired length along a certain bank or potential water body.
 2. The system according to claim 1 having certain flange plate of certain thickness and configuration fabricated or otherwise made at outer side of the vertical wall plate and base plate components in claim 1, in order to provide rigidity.
 3. The system according to claim 1 having certain ribs fabricated or otherwise made at the bottom of the base plate as per claim 1 along its length of certain thickness, depth and configuration.
 4. A system for providing flood protection, the system comprising: A modular floater assembly fabricated or otherwise made with certain material having a certain horizontal base plate, vertical wall plates, end plates and a top plate of certain thickness, width, length and configuration essentially making a rectangular water tight floating assembly of certain length, width, height and certain configuration and having certain flange, fabricated or otherwise made at the outside lower bottom ends of each wall plate all along the entire length of such floater assembly and provided with longitudinal seal on top of the extended flange in such a manner that this extended surface on both side of the floater assembly could essentially create a water tight surface once it comes in contact with a surface of similar configuration all along the entire length of the floater assembly.
 5. The system according to claim 1 having certain extended flanges at a certain distance from the top of the both walls on water and dry side is fabricated or otherwise made along the entire inside length of components as per claim 1 is an integrated component of certain thickness and width, which at minimum serves as an stopper and essentially provides water tight sealing of the base assembly as per claim 1 and the floater assembly as per claim 4 during certain flood conditions.
 6. The system according to claim 1 having certain shelf fabricated or otherwise made an integral part of the inside of the wall on the dry side as per claim 1 of certain dimensions and configuration as to hold the entire weight of the floater assembly as per claim 4 with upper surface slanting downward in order to act as a stopper for the floater assembly as per claim 4 during certain flood conditions and release the floater assembly during certain flood conditions.
 7. The system according to claim 4 having certain locking mechanism fabricated or otherwise made at the base of the floater assembly of certain dimensions and configuration in a manner that it automatically or mechanically locks and secure itself with another complimentary modular floater assembly thereby creating a continuous water tight floater assembly of certain width, height and any desired length along the entire water bank or potential water body.
 8. The system according to claim 4 having certain locking mechanism fabricated or otherwise made at the top of the floater assembly of certain dimensions and configuration in a manner that it can mechanically lock and secure itself with another complimentary modular floater assembly thereby creating a continuous water tight floater assembly of certain width, height and any desired length along the entire water bank or potential water body.
 9. The system according to claim 4 having certain seal along the entire periphery of both the faces of the floater assembly of certain dimensions and configuration in a manner that it creates a water tight seal when secured with another complimentary modular floater assembly thereby creating a continuous floater assembly of certain width, height and any desired length along the entire water bank or potential water body.
 10. The system according to claim 1 having certain angular configuration at the end of certain modular base assembly that when attached and secured with another complimentary modular base assembly essentially creates a continuous water tight base channel of certain desired linear bend or curve along the water bank or potential water body.
 11. The system according to claim 4 having certain angular configuration at the end of certain modular floater assembly that when attached and secured with another complimentary modular floater assembly essentially creates a continuous water tight floater wall of certain desired linear bend or curve along the water bank or potential water body.
 12. The system according to claim 1 having certain groove fabricated or otherwise made an integral part of the outside of the wall on the dry side as per claim 1 of certain dimensions and configuration as to receive and secure a vertical sheet pile end drive through into the ground during maintenance.
 13. The system according to claim 4 having certain groove fabricated or otherwise made an integral part of the outside of the wall on the dry side as per claim 4 of certain dimensions and configuration as to receive and secure a vertical sheet pile end during maintenance.
 14. The system according to claim 4 having certain ribs fabricated or otherwise made at the bottom of the floater assembly as per claim 4 along its length of certain thickness and configuration for stability and rigidity. 